This section includes certain background and other information related to the present disclosure and is not necessarily prior art.
Retail outlets, particularly food retailers, require a plurality of systems during operation. Such systems often include refrigeration, HVAC, lighting, anti-condensate heating (ACH), defrost, and other building control systems. Each of these systems include associated equipment to perform various functions. For example, refrigeration systems include compressors, condensers, evaporators, and the like, to cool refrigeration cases to a desired temperature.
The various types of equipment may operate at certain operating parameters, or setpoints. A setpoint may define an operating condition of the equipment and may be adjusted to provide a desired output from the equipment. For example, a setpoint of an electronic pressure regulator may be adjusted to maintain a desired pressure within an evaporator of a refrigeration system. Further, a compressor rack may have a suction pressure setpoint whereby capacity of the compressor rack is increased if monitored suction pressure exceeds the suction pressure setpoint and capacity of the compressor rack is decreased if monitored suction pressure falls below the suction pressure setpoint. Similarly, an HVAC system may have a room temperature setpoint whereby the HVAC system provides heating if the room temperature falls below the room temperature setpoint and/or provides cooling if the room temperature exceeds the room temperature setpoint.
Because the equipment of the various systems consumes power during operation, the amount of power consumed by a particular piece of equipment may be affected by the setpoint value. A modification of a setpoint value may result in increased or decreased energy consumption by the corresponding piece of equipment.
Generally, a retailer may configure particular systems of its associated retail locations to operate at an optimized level. Thus, optimized set points may be determined and set so that the systems operate in an efficient manner. However, setpoints may be modified for various reasons by contractors working at local retailer site locations. For example, setpoint changes may be made during maintenance or cleaning activities. Contractors at the site locations may not return the setpoints to their previous levels, resulting in undesired or inefficient operation of the corresponding equipment. Further, a setpoint modification may be made to respond to localized conditions. A contractor at a site location, however, may incorrectly adjust the setpoint or overcompensate for the localized condition. Additionally, a contractor may not adjust the correct setpoint to address the localized condition. Moreover, the adjustment of one or more setpoints to address a particular localized condition may have an effect on other systems at the local site, resulting in additional conditions for the contractor to address, and additional setpoint modifications for additional systems. As a result, the iterations of setpoint modifications may result in inefficient overall operation of the equipment.
Traditionally, it is difficult for a retailer to routinely monitor the setpoints of the systems and equipment at its various retail locations.
A system for monitoring optimal equipment operating parameters is described in the commonly assigned patent titled “System For Monitoring Optimal Equipment Operating Parameters,” U.S. Pat. No. 6,889,173, issued on May 3, 2005, and in the commonly assigned application titled “System For Monitoring Optimal Equipment Operating Parameters,” U.S. Pub. No. 2006/0020426, published on Jan. 26, 2006, both of which are explicitly incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. An enterprise control and monitoring system and method is described in the application titled “Enterprise Control and Monitoring System and Method,” U.S. Pub. No. 2006/0242200, published on Oct. 26, 2006 and assigned to Computer Process Controls, Inc., which is also explicitly incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.